RAN NO JIDAI Preview #1 (take 2) : The Takeda Clan
The new reconstituted Ran No Jidai team brings you:
The TAKEDA CLAN
Like dogs swarming a tiger. Few families can look the Takeda in the eye, they just look to bite off piece by piece. The established traditional overlords of the ore-rich province of Kai the Takeda trace their ancestry directly to the Minamoto. In their Kofuchu Castle of Maruyama-Jo hangs an inscription from two centuries prior that entrusted the Takeda as the lord-high-protectors of Bushido, charged with keeping pure the way of the Samurai. This is the place of the Takeda family, at the center of the aristocracy and at the center of Japan.
The world is not like a Shogi board, the central position is not always to the greatest advantage. The excessive violence and vulgar transgressions of code and ethics during the Onin Wars have opened the gates of hell. Petty retainers in the mountains North of Kai have turned to aggressive banditry during the last one hundred years, they slandered the Bushido by pronouncing themselves Daymio, and now fail to understand their place and pay regular homage to the Takeda. A service should be paid to them and their heads severed and impaled before they rock the boat further with their blasphemous dishonour.
To the south the family’s old friends, the Imagawa, and the Hojo have broken the traditional balanced coexistence between the clan. The Takeda defended both of them in the last century against against rebellious retainers. Now the Hojo have been pushing their frontiers and war has been forced. A full decisive confrontation of armies must be avoided, lest destructions buries the two most deserved families in the region on the same patch of grass; Both are fully aware that they mutually benefit from the traditional balance of power between them.
The current lord Takeda Nobutora had to fight his uncle when he assumed power in 1507, who was supported by the ambitious Hojo. Only five years ago did he finally manage to unite all of Kai under one banner again. The fight with Hojo has never ceased since this civil war. After their cavalry obliterated the western upstart, self-titled daymio, Fukushima Masahige, Hojo adopted his son and made him a full general.
To the northeast the Takeda’s traditional enemy the Uesugi are consolidating territory and now control a large amount of land. They will never forget that the Takeda stopped their rebellious ambitions in 1415, and the hatred of the families has lasted the length of the century. Nobutara’s grandfather Nobumasa killed three Uesugi family members in battle fifty years ago, and their hair still decorates the banner of the famous red-armoured house bodyguard cavalry.
The situation is dire. Surrounded by hostiles on all sides the Takeda must find trustworthy allies among a pack of wolves. Their armies are the most powerful on the field of battle. The Takeda’s neighbors know this, and will wait behind castle walls until the back is exposed. The forces must be either split to cover the North and the South adequately or they will never have sufficient time to lay sieges and consolidate gains.
Shinano, the most worthy objective, has traditionally bred the heavier horses, which form the core of the Takeda cavalry, and now the minor daymio controlling this important refuse to supply the Takeda clan fresh mounts at a fair price having taken control of stables which traditionally were founded by the overlords of Kai. The ample province of Shinano with its fertile valleys and rich mountains should be a target as it could present an opportunity to raise a sufficient army to defeat multiple opponents.
For centuries the clan has kept a council of the 24 finest samurai retainers. In fromer centuries, these were poets, artists and statesmen. Now they must be warriors and strategists. At their command a divine hammer: The cavalry of Kai is unmatched in open battle, able to break any infantry formation on flat ground, they are also exceptionally adept in maneuvering and fighting in hill country. Artists at showering the opponents with accurate arrow fire, they’re brave charges paralyzes with fear before trampling anyone foolish enough to stand their ground. The Takeda family’s ample host of retainer families provides an army of highly trained samurai, which allow for several division of some of the finest foot and horse units in Japan. Albeit some advisers, including many of the 24 generals of Kai, have pleaded with Takeda Nobutara to start thinking of quantity as superior quality was not enough to defeat the many dogs surrounding the Takeda tiger on all sides.
Takeda Units:
Takeda are famous for their heavy cavalry. They are a traditional clan, their famous retainer families follow the Bushido strictly, and believe in defeating their enemy on the battlefield. The Takeda Army is built for decisive battles, and it will be hard for it to adapt to changes and inovations. The tradition is holding infantry, with exceptionally armoured and trained bodies of Samurai and few Ashigaru. The job always gets finished by their deadly squadrons of cavalry which few forces in Japan can withstand a direct charge from. The Takeda also have a military tradition which produces some of the finest generals in Japan, these general share their experience with young and talented officers to continue the tradition of quality
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Special Unit:Fire Cavalry
The Unit of elite yari cavalry known throughout Japan as Fire Cavalry, is composed of men trained from childhood to fight on horseback. They are master archers, and sword masters, who's give a morale boost to other cavalry charging with them and strike fear into the enemy. If the psychological aspect is not enough, this unit, famous for its red armour and its commanders have been the most famous of the Takeda's captains. Their laquered Red armour, extremely good protection that is also very light, instills fear, and gives them excellent protection against spears and arrows. Their special breed of fast horses makes them Tactically agile despite being heavily armoured.
- RNJ Team
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